By Joyce Kryszak
Buffalo, NY – A business group sponsored report card on HMOs released Tuesday shows Western New Yorkers are slightly more satisfied with their access to medical care. But the region's three HMO's still need dramatic improvement in meeting mental health care needs.
Once again, the regions three HMOs - Independent Health, Community Blue and Univera - scored at or above the national averages for member satisfaction.
That's according to the sixth annual report card released by IPRO, the New York State Health Accountability Foundation.
But the report card shows all three still fall short in meeting mental health care needs. Doctor Anthony Shih from IPRO says HMO response is critical.
"For their part HMOs can make an impact on this problem by setting and maintaining high standards of treatment and providing incentives for good treatment," said Shih. "We know many have institutes quality improvement programs around this issue. And those that don't should look seriously at this issue and see what they can do to solve it."
Only twenty-three percent of patients received any follow-up care in the three months after being diagnosed with depression.
Independent Health ranked highest locally overall in a pateint's ability to get care. But it fell below the national average in follow-up of mental illness.
Dr. Michael Cropp, Chief Medical Officer for Independent Health, said the sensitive nature of mental illness makes it difficult to treat.
He said access to timely care is another area of concern. But Cropp says that may be due to higher co-pays.
"We're wondering how much of that is being impacted by that and the shifting of costs to the individual consumer - where they have to pay more co-pay and they might find they are accessing services less for that reason," said Cropp.
Cropp said businesses are increasingly asking for the higher patient co-pays in exchange for lower company premiums.
IPRO representatives said next year's report card will take a more detailed look at the possible links between such cost saving measures and the quality of health care.